


One Last Chance

by AnimeBanshee



Series: One Thousand Years in the Making [2]
Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga), Sailor Moon Crystal - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Blood and Injury, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Love, Memory Loss, Recovered Memories, Soulmates, True Love, i rewatched the show and did it again, just a little bit, no regrets, the shitennou and senshi love each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-14
Updated: 2019-11-15
Packaged: 2021-01-30 11:26:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21427453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnimeBanshee/pseuds/AnimeBanshee
Summary: So, I re-watched Sailor Moon Crystal and I decided to write another recovered memories fic. This might have a sequel, but I know I have a few people who would like one for my other fanfiction Five More Seconds. As such, I want to work on that first.In which an event goes differently and happiness isn't so out of reach as previously thought.(This takes place in a separate universe from Five More Seconds, however the basics are pretty much the same, so I am including it in the series. Consider it an au of an au XD)
Relationships: Aino Minako/Kunzite, Chiba Mamoru & Shitennou, Chiba Mamoru/Tsukino Usagi, Hino Rei/Jadeite, Inner Senshi & Shitennou, Kino Makoto/Nephrite, Mizuno Ami/Zoisite, Prince Endymion & Shitennou, Prince Endymion/Princess Serenity, Senshi & Shitennou, Senshi/Shitennou, Tsukino Usagi & Shitennou
Series: One Thousand Years in the Making [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1546111
Comments: 6
Kudos: 36





	1. Fight or Die

If you’ve never been to the North Pole… well… it was enough to say it was cold. Even with their transformations going, the warmth in their souls pushing to the surface, the tips of their fingers itched. Their legs aching, and maybe if the situation wasn’t terribly  _ familiar _ one would make a joke about needing a transformation with a full body snow suit. 

As it was silence reigned, other than the sporadic messages from Luna. Words glued to the backs of their throats. Usagi was the one who brought light into their lives. Who brought the easing touch to the tension that always brewed under the surface. Without her, there was fear. The only thing pushing them forward the knowledge that it was their duty. Their duty that they protect her and it was a duty that they were proud of. One they would never set aside because of something so basic as  _ fear _ .

But that didn’t mean it wasn’t choking.

First, it had been Endymion. Strong and unwavering. Their princess’ true love. The one who made her happy. Who gave her the happy end she always wanted. The four having to hold her  _ back _ as he was taken away, her screams seared into their minds for the rest of eternity - or however long they had left. 

And then… and then their Kings, the men they were never supposed to fall for. The men who swept them off their feet just like the beauty of their planet: all smirks, smiles, jokes, and knowledge. Shared understanding brewing mutual affection. Their “betrayal” had hurt the first time around, even more so than the deaths they brought upon them. But watching them escape, when they were  _ so close _ to getting their memories back… Why hadn’t they tried harder? Why hadn’t they pushed? Why hadn’t they screamed and begged and-

Because Senshi don’t beg. They had to remind themselves of that as they helped wipe the blood off one another. Getting rid of any stray tears before the princess could return. There would be more chances. They just had to focus on that. Just… one more chance. And they could - no would - save them.

But, then Usagi had vanished. Taken. Gone to fight all on her own. No back up. Against the person who destroyed their home once and was gunning to do it again. They wouldn’t allow it. Dragging themselves to their feet, bruised and broken, but already transformed and flying through the sky. Lips pulled into thin lines. The princess - no, Usagi - had given them all something. Friendship. Love. She had brought them together before they had even realized what their mission was. Showing them that their talents were exactly that, and not curses. They were not to be feared or ridiculed. They were her most precious friends. And she was the same to them.

They would not let her die alone. They would not let her die, period. She would get her happiness if it was the last thing they did. 

Those thoughts on their mind, they landed outside the mouth of the gaping cave. Staring into darkness while Mercury read off numbers. The Dark Kingdom… The ones who brought all the pain and suffering.

“Let’s end this.” Venus’ words were quiet in the gale of snow, but the fire they lit was visible in every pair of eyes as they stalked forward. Hands up. Ready for a fight. Senses twitching. They knew they weren’t the only ones here. They knew exactly who was watching them. The pain drowned out by the need to figure out their location. Where were-

They were swallowed by an explosion of green light. 

*****

Screams echoed. Music to the ears of the Kings leaning back against the rocky walls. Eyes blood red as they watched the girls struggle to stand. Venus spotted them first, the others not far behind. Hesitation leaking into their gazes, even though they knew.  _ They knew _ . How could they hurt them?

“Is that really all it takes?” Kunzite’s words cut into each of them, crushing the hope that the reason they didn’t kill them right then and there was because they felt  _ something _ . Anything. But Venus was the one who flinched, barely noticeable by even those who knew her well. 

“Girls, we have to fight.”

“For Usagi.”

“For everyone.”

“We can’t… let them stop us.” Even Rei, the one who always said she didn’t need love, didn’t need a man to look after her, was teary eyed before the emotion brimming was washed away. Each facing what they knew would be their hardest fight yet. 

They needed one moment. They just had to find it.

But when were things ever so simple? Metalia must’ve imbued them with more of her power, because they were stronger. Blasting the Senshi away without any trouble, blocking their attacks like they were batting away a fly. It might’ve been possible, maybe, for the girls to take down one if all four fought against them. There was no time for that. Each too busy making sure the hits didn’t leave them impaled or broken on the cave floor. 

Mercury was the first to fall. A blast of power from Zoisite sending her slamming head first into a wall, where she flopped uselessly to the ground. Blood pouring freely, her vivid blue hair stained red. Then it was Jupiter who, feeling the agony of her beloved friend, leapt at Nephrite, heat pulsing in her chest. Electricity sparking at her fingertips. 

Laughing, he spun, kicking her back like it was nothing. The snap mixing with her cry of pain, stained scarlett as it dripped from her lips. Mars didn’t hold back. She wouldn’t, not anymore. A blast of fire aimed straight for the brunette’s back before a cold voice spoke right in her ear.

“You should really watch your surroundings in a fight.” Pressure exploding in her lower back before Jadeite pushed her away. Watching the embers of her fire die as she fell out of the air.

Venus watched it all, felt it all, mind in knots. She’d tried for so long to bring them - bring him - back. Why wasn’t it working?! Why did it always turn out this way?! WHY?! 

Her hands shakily went to her belt, Kunzite’s eyes glued to her. “You know that isn’t going to work.”

“Remember.”

“You’re going to die here, Sailor Guardian.”

“Please… Kunzite. Don’t you remember me?” Tears pricked at her eyes. Her friends, sisters, were fading. There wasn’t a lot of time. They were going to fail. They couldn’t. They’d sworn. “Please. I’m sorry. For everything.”

His only response was a chuckle, joined by his brothers as his hand came up, aimed right for her. Exposed and the only thing between her friends and death. Her eyes closed, summoning power she knew wouldn’t work to kill him. Letting it swell and twist and-

_ Please, Kunzite. I love you. Come back to me. _

“Usagi needs us. You must have someone that important to you, too!” 

A blinding flash of light. 

*****

He was floating. Lost. Grasping uselessly for anything to hold onto, finding nothing. 

But someone was calling his name. Where were they? Where? Eyes darting back and forth as they tried to make out anything in the searing glare. A hand poised to take his. They sounded so familiar. She-

She?

Warmth invaded his chest, uninvited. What was this feeling? He didn’t understand. What was happening?

But it didn’t stop there. Images crashing into him full force. A train with no breaks. Golden hair that caught his eyes every time. Blue eyes that captured his full attention. A voice that could make his breath catch with a single word.

Followed by a man. Regal in stance though his lips were pulled back in a teasing smile. Deep eyes shining with forgiveness and understanding. Affection.

_ Kunzite, it’s time to come home. _

*****

Zoisite couldn’t breath. Fog pressing in on every side, threatening to engulf him. A gentle laugh echoing off to his side having him flinching back, though his stomach jerked in something completely opposite to fear. 

Was it an enemy? But then, why wasn’t he nervous, afraid? Eyes darting back and forth, trying to catch a glimpse of the one who danced in the mist. Curiosity tugging him one way, something… else pulling him in another. What was going on? Who was the voice whispering in his ear? Soft and gentle… easing him into taking that step forward when his mind demanded he take one backward.

Warm hands welcomed him, wrapping around his torso and he desperately tried to see her face. It was swallowed by a wave of memories, ocean eyes and sweet smiles just for him. 

Searching for an intruder. Seeing her for the first time. Letting her leave because… because… he still didn’t fully understand why. But he wanted to see her again. He wanted to have the thrill of trying to find her when she returned, because now he knew what she felt like. He-

But more just kept coming. The man who he swore his life to. The man who would let him talk about the wildest things simply to hear of the outside world. The man who trusted him with his life despite his thin stature, knowing that didn’t make him any less the man he was meant to be. His best friend and his… prince.

_ My dear Zoisite. I’ve missed you. _

*****

He was consumed by darkness, and yet heat pressed down on him from every side. Dragging him further into the depths. Dragging him as he kicked, tooth and nail, trying not to give in to the allure of the anger somewhere far behind him. He wasn’t sure why it was the wrong thing to do, but he just knew it was. Something deep in his mind warding him off. 

There was no coming back if he went there again. 

As if hearing his struggles, his determination not to give in, a single flame appeared in the distance. Wavering lightly, as if it were being buffeted by the strongest of winds, but it was enough. He took off, legs moving before he ever wondered what could be waiting for him. Even when the temperature rose and threatened to burn his skin, even when his eyes watered, even when his throat went dry… Nothing stopped him.

The flame burst into an inferno. The dancing orange showing him pictures of hard violet eyes and a thin beautiful face, sealed off from his jokes. Yet, as times passed, maybe she softened. His attempts no longer going unnoticed as she reached toward him, needing him as much as he needed her. No longer a one sided interest, but one that consumed them both.

The fire no longer hurt, instead it caressed him closer. Welcoming him into its hold as it surrounded him happily, flickering more wildly than before. Flashes becoming more clear. A palace surrounded by greenery. A long room of white pillars where, at the center, stood a man he knew so well he could tease him for hours. But for now, there was only a concealed joy as he took those final steps to stand before his friend, his _ master _ , bowing his head and allowing the smooth, deep voice to grace him with the name that would seal him in his fate. Giving him the duty he had always wanted.

Two voices mixed, laced with nothing more than unbridled passion as he was engulfed. 

_ Jadeite, you’re free. _

*****

Nephrite had always been tough, strong enough to lug around even the heaviest of items without fail. But now he was being crushed, rain hitting him in the face like knives as the gale did it’s best to sweep him away. Right into the waiting arms of the storm, the waiting arms of whatever waited for him, deep in the shadows. 

He would not go. Whether out of pure stubbornness… or simply the fact that his feet were moving on their own he didn’t know. Nothing made sense. How did he get here? Where was here? How did he get away?

Wiping a hand across his face, the ghost of his name caught his ear. Eyes narrowing to try and make out anything in the torrential downpour. A light touch having him jerking back, swiping at his face-

A flower petal? What on Earth?

But that wasn’t the end of it. Mind spinning when the smell of roses drifted on the next burst of wind, carrying with it the barest recollection of brief touches and even gentler kisses. Tears pricking at his eyes as he forced himself forward. The ache in his chest screaming that he needed to find her.  _ Her. _ But who was she? 

Flashes of vivid emerald eyes and a broad smile, long legs, warm hugs. A large heart that knew the pain of lost, who understood that nothing was ever easy, who knew what it was like to dedicate every waking moment to someone else entirely. Still loving him despite the need to attend to his duties.

Wait… love?

The voice was louder this time, and he knew it to be true. Yes, he did love her. How could he have forgotten? How could he have forgotten-

And the man who made it all possible. Ignoring the warnings from the stars he so diligently delivered just to see the princess from the moon. And yet, when he discovered the truth, on a night with storm clouds rolling over head, a brunette hiding in the shadows while her mistress was carried away. Light dancing on her fair skin, in her intoxicating eyes… He himself gave into the temptation he’d been warned about. 

That was the man he’d sworn to follow. The man who loved despite everything: secrecy, danger, and fate. The man who protected his people with all of his being, refusing to step back from a challenge. The man who told him his temper wasn’t something to be feared, rather… once reigned in, would make him strong. Disciplined. His Prince who taught him that loyalty would lead him to the ends of the Earth to make sure he did his duty. 

_ My love… you’ve returned-! _


	2. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A family comes together and fate is changed.

The dust settled, silence sending goosebumps along each of the Kings arms as they pushed themselves up. Eyes having lost their red glow, memories still pulsing back into place and at first they didn’t understand how they’d gotten there. Where there even was. It wasn’t the Golden Kingdom. It was far too cold. 

But it didn’t take long. The blood on their hands… the sins they had committed… there was no forgetting. All the lives they took. The world they had helped destroy. 

Guilt piled in their stomachs like lead, weighing each to the floor. Jadeite’s voice breaking slightly when he managed to cough out words. “That’s… we are…”

“The Knights who protect our master!” Nephrite’s hands shook as they curled into fists at his side, eyes glaring holes into the ground like it would somehow explained how this could’ve happened.

“To think we were controlled by the powers of darkness…” A new frustration burned in Zoisite’s chest; he had already burned down everything he’d sworn to protect once. The possibility of doing it again making his heart squeeze till it was hard to breath. How could they have failed? How could they have betrayed the trust placed in them by the ones who mattered most? How- 

“MOVE!” The sharp command rang out and they all rolled to the side just in time, thunder announcing Metalia’s arrival as she cut a hole into the floor. Aiming for their heads. Eyes wide as they watched her retreat with a scream of fury. Light shining from further within the darkness. A beacon in the night.

They fell back against the wall, panting. Too close. Far too close. She’d almost… They couldn’t die again, not when Endymion needed them. Not when the ones they loved-

Wait. Where were they? They distinctly remembered their voices, shouting for them to wake up. So, where-? 

Each felt a flicker of something they hadn’t felt in over a thousand years, stirring deep within their chests, faint but still there, but fading fast. Terror fell. What had they done? They couldn’t have-

Kunzite’s eyes landed on golden curls, the name dying in his throat. “Venus…?” His voice was so different than his brothers had ever heard it. Cracking at the end when his gaze focused on her hand, stretched toward him like it was the last thing she would ever do. Eyes closed, the depth of her gaze lost to him, sealed away because he hadn’t been strong enough. Because he’d been a fool. Because he hadn’t fought hard enough. Because…

He shakily got to his feet, numb when he fell by her side and she still didn’t respond. Red slowly seeping across the rock underneath her, suit stained where a blast had rendered her skin to charcoal. 

A soft laugh. Playful eyes that could so quickly turn serious. Power that left him speechless. All dead because of him. A sob building in his throat until it escaped and somewhere nearby he heard begging. The voices of his brothers ringing out in his head, screaming at their defeat. Their mistakes. Why? Why had this happened  _ again _ ?

Why did she still love him? 

“You should have killed me. Venus…” Barely able to think past the ghost of her voice tickling his memories, he moved on instinct. Leaning down to brush a kiss over her forehead. Cries swirling in his chest and growing, but never managing to escape. He knew he deserved this… but she didn’t. She never deserved anything but the world. 

Swallowed in his mind, in the final moments before he’d have to pull away and force himself to find his master, he never felt her move. Never noticed when her hand reached for his face. Wishing he was back in a time when things seemed to make sense and he could wake up beside her and think: one day things would be different. One day there would be no more secrets.

“I killed you once,” that was too real, the touch on his cheek yanking him back, “I never want to do it again.”

Grey stared into blue, almost unseeing. Her lips pulling into a gentle grin. “Kunzite…” 

Just his name was enough to set the gates in his chest open, words threatening to fall before his frantic eyes fell to her hip. Where there should have been blood and ash and instead… instead there was her pristine suit. Not a tear to be seen. 

“How…?” 

“I’m not leaving until my princess is safe.” He nearly choked on his laughter if not for the tears sliding down his cheeks, carefully wiped away. “And… well, I don’t want to give up on my chance at happiness.”

Tugging her into his arms, he refuses to let go, her soft laugh music to his ears, heart beating faster than it ever has before in this lifetime. He doesn’t want to give up either. 

Never again.

*****

Zoisite doesn’t even remember moving. The second between him standing at the wall and kneeling beside Mercury a blur. But then his hands are shaking over her eerily still form, red drenching her cheek, and he doesn’t know what to do. 

Ever since the Silver Millenium, he’s been the calculating one. The one who can take a step back and distance himself. Not now. Now there’s a lump in his chest that’s climbing into his throat and he can’t  _ breath.  _

“Mercury- Open your eyes.” He had never been one to beg. But for her he would change that, staining his hand to brush against her soft skin. Terra knew he had enough blood on his hands already but… 

“My love, please. Wake up.” How could he have laid a hand on her? The one who taught him how to smile when things were bleakest. The one who took the tension from his shoulders with a mere look, a glancing caress. The one who took the lonely, misty nights and morphed them into a time where love could bloom without prying eyes. If she didn’t come back to him… If he had… He’d have no choice but to go on with his duty, but his heart would be gone.

Magic stirred in his gut, starting small, but quickly morphing into a powerful wind. Swelling up and pushing through the bond that had been blocked for so long, searching for wounds to heal. He wouldn’t let this happen. He wouldn’t let her go. He needed her like a drowning man needed air to breath. 

Looping their fingers together, he closed his eyes and focused. Putting everything he had into finding her. It wasn’t hard, not when she had saved him, her life force pulsing in her core like the heart of the ocean, drawing him forward and he dived in willingly. Hand grasping until-

There was a soft gasp in his ear, the sound nearly sending him into the ground. Tears finally spilling over as he said her name. Over and over. Confused blue eyes gazing at his face before heat poured down her cheeks, and her face was in his neck, his hand in her hair. Their laughter mixing until she sends a shock through his spine.

“Zoisite- Zoisite, you-” He could only nod. She’d brought him back to where he belonged. To where his heart waited for him.

*****

To those watching, Jadeite might have seemed impassive. But if they looked closer they would’ve seen his hands shaking, curled into fists. Eyes glued on the face he remembered holding close. Thumbs rubbing along her cheeks as she chuckled, the sound sealing her fate as he closed the distance. Unable to resist the temptation she cast over him. He was hers and she… she was his…

He fell to his knees, pushing into the wound that still pulsed blood, coating his sleeve. Still able to feel when the blade first entered her skin, the wave of red that covered his fingers as she fell without a sound. His magic freezing in his veins as he cursed himself for his weakness, propping her up on his chest. Ignoring it when his arms started to tremble.

“Mars… Mars, I’m sorry-” His lungs weren’t working. Mind starting to spin the longer he went without air. The longer she went without looking up at him with those mesmerizing violet eyes.

“This was all my fault- You never have to forgive me, but you can’t die on me.” She had so much she needed to do. So much she needed to accomplish. He wanted to watch her succeed and hold her hand while she did it, but right now if she just opened her eyes that would be enough. If she told him to never speak to her again, he would. He just needed to hear her voice. 

He needed her to be okay. 

The fates must have heard him. Fire exploding in his veins as a bond he thought severed reopened, consuming his mind. Her passion rolling over him in waves, mixing with his own magic. Burning and pulling and melding- Tears rolling down his cheeks when he leaned down only to have her surge up halfway. Face hidden in his chest.

“ _ You fool- _ ” Voice muffled in his shirt, it was a struggle not to sob when her fingers dug into his shoulders. Merely bowing his head and allowing their magic to settle as he accepts that for once he doesn’t mind being the fool.

As long as he’s her fool. 

*****

“Jupiter…?” Nephrite didn’t make it very far, pulling her into his arms as carefully as possible. Moving her like she would shatter if he so much as laid a finger on her pale skin, and at this point that might have been the truth. Angry bruises decorating her arms and stomach from a kick that had broken more than her ribs. His kick. Her back in no better shape. 

His stomach was inverting itself, soul reaching across the gaping emptiness that threatened to swallow him because what had he done? What had he done to the woman who had taken his hand and shown him that even without his stars he was needed. Was someone who brought more than just his seeing ability to the table. He was strong and loving and he could  _ protect. _

When did that change? When did he start destroying everything close to him? When did he get so unbelievably weak? 

The memories of stolen moments, waiting for their respective charges to return. Holding her close, showing her the beauty of the garden before rain would fall upon his head. Her laugh sending his mind into a tailspin as he’d marvel at her power. Shaking himself free only to smirk and dive after her, leaving her to squeal and take off running.

A sob fell freely, his large hand pressing delicate fingers to his cheek. “Jupiter, I’m right here- I-” She was so cold.

His heart pulsed, aching with the need to see those vivid green eyes that had always locked him in place. Begging to feel that warmth that chased away even the most terrifying of nightmares. Power coursing in his veins as he pushed it forward, shoving it against the barrier that had fought to keep them apart in this lifetime, just as fate had tried to do in the last. 

“Don’t leave me alone-! I love you, I… I came back to you. Please, come back to  _ me _ .”

He put their lips together without even thinking about it, eyes slipping closed while he gently brushed away his tears which fell to her cheeks. Putting every ounce of energy he had into wishing she would move. Would smile. Would  _ wake up- _

Arms circled his neck, a gasp ripping itself from his throat as the smell of cinnamon and roses filled his senses. Her own cry a quiet murmur against his mouth before she’s pulled back and he’s lost. The green eyes the only place he has ever wanted to be, hands on her face, hers on his. Foreheads together as they took in the feeling of their connection, the one that bound them together through the thousand years they’d been apart.

“I will  _ never _ leave you alone, Nephrite.” 

Her words are enough to know whatever he has done, he has been forgiven. She still loves him. And maybe that will be enough to allow him to love himself again as well. 

*****

It is in the midst of this reunion, a thousand years in the making, that two rulers battle. Soulmates that threaten to lose themselves once again to the hands of fate. Their loyal guardians finally getting the happiness they deserve, but certain outcomes come with a price…

But the Moon Princess had never been one to give up. The swell of love from her friends pushing her forward, sword high in the air as she charged the one man who brought her so much joy. The energy spiking in his hands telling her if she stopped he would kill her without hesitation. Yet, the blade goes flying, Metalia’s cackling echoing in the young girl’s thoughts as she hugged her prince for all it was worth. 

“Endymion… Mamo-chan… Please.” She chose to ignore anything other than the warmth of his chest against her face. “Please, this isn’t you. It’s me, Serenity.” Soft blue eyes slowly trailed upwards, locking with red. Not even a flinch to accompany the twisting in her gut. “I love you so much. And everyone misses you. You don’t want to hurt people.”

Was it just her… or was his face twitching? He hadn’t killed her yet.

“This is your home. Don’t let her destroy everything. We’ve finally found each other again.” Not only us. Our friends. Our family. “We all can be happy.”

He took one stumbling step backward. Metalia’s voice screeching at him to finish what he started, but he didn’t move. Trapped in the ocean of her eyes. Drowning in the love and devotion of a girl who would give her life to see him alive and happy. Who was risking everything to save him from destruction. 

The bond Metalia had tried to cut bursting forth like a sudden flood. His knees giving out as light engulfed them both. His body starting to glow as memories poured into his head; memories of a bun-headed girl who might’ve been a cry baby, but who was so  _ strong _ and determined to protect those around her. Love pouring from her heart and encompassing those who truly needed it, proving that everyone deserved understanding.

And when he blinked, he stood not as Metalia’s pawn, but as Endymion. Arms tight around his love who stared up at him with wide, innocent eyes. Her white dress flowing out behind her.

Together they would save the world. And together they would go home. To their family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you've liked this journey. Feel free to give me feedback!!! I love hearing your reactions!
> 
> ((I'm so glad people agree that the Knights should come back!!!))

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this. It might be something like a rant but I had fun writing for them again. The second chapter will hopefully be up sometime this week. But... college life might get in the way. No promises.


End file.
